McGarrah v. Southern Railway Co.
McGarrah v. Southern Railway Co.
Dissenting Opinion
(dissenting).
I do not place the same interpretation upon the declaration and the testimony in this case as do my Associates. In one portion of the declaration plaintiff claims damages from the defendant company for letting the water accumulate above the railroad track in such way as to flood the lands of the plaintiff situated on the upper side of the railroad right of way. In another portion of the declaration plaintiff complains that the railroad company by an opening under the track has permitted the waters from above the
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
Appellant, McG-arrah, sued the Southern Bailway Company in Mississippi for injury to his lands caused by flooding land above the railroad track and also by flooding certain pasture land below the track, alleging that when the Southern Bailway Company of Mississippi was constructed that there was a natural drain or branch flowing under the track whereby the waters from the surrounding country flowing through Mile Branch passed under the track of the Southern Bailway and through the channel into Big Black river; that said opening was of sufficient size to admit the free passage of water, and was kept open until a period of about ten years preceding the filing of this suit, when the defendant improperly filled in the channel of Mile Branch under its track, and undertook to put in artificial drainage by means of small culvert and a ditch some distance west of where said Mile Branch formerly went under the track; that subsequent and about four years before filing the suit defendant made a, large opening in its roadbed, a great distance west of said culvert, for the passage of water accumulating from said water course and from surface water on the north side, and undertook to convey said water to the last-mentioned opéning by means of a ditch; that the said change was negligently and improperly made by the defendant without the consent of the plaintiff, and in disregard of his rights; that by means of said negligent and improper change both the surface creek and surface waters were caused to flow in large quantities upon sixty-five acres of plaintiff’s land situated south of said railroad and contiguous thereto, said waters depositing great quantities of silt, sand, and clay, in
Taking the record and looking over it critically, we think there is enough evidence to warrant a verdict for the plaintiff. The plaintiff testified: That about four years before the trial the company had a, ditch dug down the railroad, and before this there was about a mile of branch or longer with some little tributaries, and the water ran in there, and they dug a ditch down the railroad, and made an opening somewhere about the line between the witness and one Mr. Pittman. That the drainage made by the railroad was insufficient for the purpose of carrying off the water, and that the’ ditch so dug filled up and caused the water to back up on his land. The branch referred to is called Mile Branch, and comes to the railroad where the water course used to be, and they ditched it down the railroad about a quarter of a mile, and made an opening across the railroad, and threw the water upon the land below the track without any outlet. . That by reason of the overflow his crop above the railroad had been drowned out by the ponding of water upon the land during the rains or freshets. That the rental value of this land was six dollars per acre, and there were ten acres in cultivation. That he had been unable to work this land for the four years preceding the trial, by reason of this overflow and backing water. He testified, further, that near, his barn about an acre of his land had been badly washed by reason of this condition, and that beginning about four years before the bringing of the suit. He also testified that by reason of the new opening made about four years ago, and the diverting of the water from its natural course and discharging it in an unusual way, his pasture land be
It appears that the ten year prescription period had not transpired or become completed when the new’ trestle and the ditch leading thereto was opened, and, inasmuch as this opening and ditch prevented the lands above the railroad from being flooded as long as the ditch was kept open, and the proof shows that plaintiff had never suffered the damage he sued for until four years prior to the bringing of the suit, the prescription is not shown in this proof to have been completed or ripened in the defendant as stated at the beginning of this suit.
As stated above, the proof is badly developed in the record, and there is irrelevant matter introduced in evidence, making the testimony rather incorherent. We think, however, the proof was sufficient to have gone to the jury, and the jury could find from the proof the plaintiff’s damages. Accordingly the judgment is reversed, and the cause remamded for a new trial.
Reversed and remanded.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- McGarrah v. Southern Railway Company in Mississippi
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. Waters and Watercourses. Railroads. Flooding lands. Prescriptive right. In a suit by an adjacent landowner against a railroad for damages to his land by flooding caused by a trestle and ditch leading thereto being negligently allowed to become filled up, where the ten-year prescription period had not transpired or become completed when the trestle and ditch leading thereto was opened and this opening and ditch prevented the lands above the railroad from being flooded as long as the ditch was kept open and the plaintiff had never suffered the damage he sued for until four years prior to the bringing of the suit. In such case its prescription is not shown to have been completed or ripened in the defendant. 2. Railroads. Flooding lands. Question. In this case, which was a suit against a railway for flooding lands by negligently allowing a trestle and ditch leading thereto to become filled up, the court held that the evidence was sufficient to allow the case to go to the jury.